big fish casino zendesk

The Onion's rejected purchase of Infowars in an auction bid supported by families of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting dealt them a new setback Wednesday and clouded the future of Alex Jones' conspiracy theory platform, which is now poised to remain in his control for at least the near future. What's next for Infowars and Sandy Hook families' long-sought efforts to hold Jones accountable over calling one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history a hoax was unclear, after a federal judge in Houston late Tuesday rejected The Onion's winning bid for the site . U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez in Houston said he did not want another auction but offered no roadmap over how to proceed. One possibility includes ultimately allowing Sandy Hook families — who comprise most of Jones' creditors — to return to state courts in Connecticut and Texas to collect on the nearly $1.5 billion in defamation and emotional distress lawsuit judgments that Jones was ordered to pay them. “Our hope is that when this process ends, and it will end, and it will end sooner rather than later, is that all assets that Alex Jones has available are paid to the families, and that includes Infowars, and that as a result of that process Alex Jones is deprived of the ownership and control of the platform that he’s used to hurt so many people,” Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the Sandy Hook families, said in a phone interview Wednesday. The families, meanwhile, were preparing the mark the 12th anniversary of the Dec. 14 shooting. The sale of Infowars is part of Jones’ personal bankruptcy case , which he filed in late 2022 after he was ordered to pay the $1.5 billion. Jones was sued for repeatedly saying on his show that the 2012 massacre of 20 first graders and six educators was staged by crisis actors to spur more gun control. Lopez said there was a lack of transparency in the bidding process and too much confusion about The Onion's bid. He also said the amount of money offered in the only two bids was too low and there needed to be more effort to try to raise as much money possible from the selling of Infowars' assets. The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron, submitted a $1.75 million cash offer with plans to kick Jones out and relaunch Infowars in January as a parody . The bid also included a deal with many of the Sandy Hook families for them to forgo $750,000 of their auction proceeds and give it to other creditors. Lopez called it a complex arrangement that led to different interpretations of the bid's actual value as well as last-minute changes to a proposed sale order. The other bidder was First United American Companies, which runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements and planned to let Jones stay on the Infowars platforms. It offered $3.5 million in cash and later, with Jones, alleged fraud and collusion in the bidding process. Lopez rejected the allegations, saying that while mistakes were made there was no wrongdoing. Christopher Murray, the trustee who oversaw the auction, said he picked The Onion and its deal with the Sandy Hook families because it would have provided more money to Jones' other creditors. The next steps remained unclear Wednesday. The judge directed Murray to come up with a new plan to move forward. Murray and representatives of The Onion did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The judge said there was a possibility there could be a trial in 2025 to settle Jones' bankruptcy. He said Murray could try to sell the equity in Infowars' parent company. He also said Murray could abandon the efforts, which could allow the Sandy Hook families to return to the state courts where they won their lawsuits against Jones and begin collection proceedings against him. The judge said he wanted to hear back from Murray and others involved in the bankruptcy within 30 days on a plan to move forward. Mattei, who represented the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut lawsuit, said everyone is waiting to see what plan the trustee comes up with. Jones, meanwhile, continued to allege fraud and collusion on his show Wednesday and threatened legal action over what he called an attempted “rigged auction.” On the social media platform X, he called the judge's ruling a “Major Victory For Freedom Of The Press & Due Process." “I don’t want to have to go after these people, lawsuit-wise, but we have to because if you don’t then you’re aiding and abetting and they do it to other people. They made some big mistakes," he said. It's a solemn and heartbreaking week for relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. The 12th anniversary is Saturday, and some of the victims' relatives were traveling to Washington, D.C., to attend the annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence on Wednesday evening. The families usually mark the anniversary out of the public eye. Many of the families said their lawsuits against Jones bought back the unbearable pain of losing their loved ones, as well as the trauma of being harassed and threatened by believers of Jones' hoax conspiracy. Relatives said they have been confronted in public by hoax believers and received death and rape threats. Robbie Parker, whose 6-year-old daughter Emilie was killed, testified at the Connecticut lawsuit trial in 2022 that the decade of abuse his family suffered made them move across the country to Washington state, and even there he was accosted in person. The families have not received any money from Jones since winning the trials. Jones has been appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments, and has since conceded that the shooting did happen. Last week, a Connecticut appeals court upheld most of the judgment in that state but reduced it by $150 million. Associated Press writer Juan A. Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.All the signs Samantha Armytage's marriage to Richard Lavender was on the rocks as news of their split emergesToday, December 25, is a very special day for all of us. Our nation marks the 100th jayanti of our beloved former Prime Minister (PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji. He stands tall as a statesman who continues to inspire countless people. Our nation will always be grateful to Atal ji for being the architect of India’s transition into the 21st century. When he took oath as PM in 1998, our nation had passed through a period of political instability. In about nine years, we had seen four Lok Sabha elections. The people of India were getting impatient and also sceptical about governments being able to deliver. It was Atal ji who turned this tide by providing stable and effective governance. Coming from humble roots, he realised the struggles of the common citizen and the transformative power of effective governance. One can see the long-term impact of Atal ji ’s leadership in so many sectors around us. His era marked a gigantic leap in the world of information technology, telecom, and communications. This was particularly important for a nation like ours, which is also blessed with very dynamic yuva shakti . The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government under Atal ji made the first serious attempt to make technology accessible to the common citizens. At the same time, there was foresight in connecting India. Even today, most people recall the Golden Quadrilateral Project, which connected the length and breadth of India. Equally notable were the Vajpayee government’s efforts to enhance local connectivity as well through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Similarly, his government gave a push to metro connectivity by doing extensive work for the Delhi Metro, which stands out as a world-class infrastructure project. Thus, the Vajpayee government not only boosted economic growth but also brought distant regions closer, fostering unity and integration. When it comes to the social sector, an initiative like the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan highlights how Atal ji dreamt of building an India where modern education is accessible to people across the nation, particularly for the poor and marginalised sections. At the same time, his government presided over many economic reforms that set the stage for India’s economic surge after several decades of following an economic philosophy that encouraged cronyism and stagnation. A wonderful example of Atal ji ’s leadership can be seen in the summer of 1998. His government had just assumed office, and on May 11, India conducted the Pokhran tests, known as Operation Shakti. These tests exemplified the prowess of India’s scientific community. The world was stunned that India had done the tests and expressed its anger in no uncertain terms. Any ordinary leader would have buckled, but Atal j i was made differently. And what happened? India stood firm and resolute, with the government calling for another set of tests two days later, on May 13. If the tests of May 11 showed scientific skill, the ones on May 13 showed true leadership. It was a message to the world that gone were the days when India would buckle under threats or pressure. Despite facing international sanctions, the then NDA government of Atal ji stood firm, articulating India’s right to safeguard its sovereignty while simultaneously being the strongest proponent of world peace. Atal ji understood Indian democracy and the need to make it stronger. He presided over the creation of the NDA, which redefined coalitions in Indian politics. He brought people together and made the NDA a force for development, national progress, and regional ambitions. His parliamentary brilliance was seen throughout his political journey. He belonged to a party with a handful of MPs, but his words were enough to rattle the might of the all-powerful Congress party at the time. As PM, he blunted the criticisms of the Opposition with style and substance. His was a career spent largely on the Opposition benches, but he never carried any trace of bitterness against anyone, even though the Congress party stooped to new lows by calling him a traitor! He was also not one to cling to power through opportunistic means. He preferred to resign in 1996 instead of following the path of horse-trading and dirty politics. In 1999, his government was defeated by one vote. Many people told him to challenge the immoral politics happening then, but he preferred to go by the rules. Eventually, he came back with another resounding mandate from the people. When it comes to commitment to protecting our Constitution too, Atalji stands tall. He was deeply impacted by the martyrdom of Syama Prasad Mookerjee. Years later, he was a pillar of the anti-Emergency movement. In the run-up to the 1977 elections after the Emergency, he agreed to the merger of his own party (Jan Sangh) into the Janata Party. I am sure it would have been a painful decision for him and the others, but safeguarding the Constitution was all that mattered to him. It is also noteworthy how deeply rooted Atal ji was in Indian culture. Upon becoming India’s external affairs minister, he became the first Indian leader to speak in Hindi at the United Nations. This one gesture showcased his immense pride in India’s heritage and identity, leaving an indelible mark on the global stage. Atal ji’ s persona was magnetic and his life was enriched by his love for literature and expression. A prolific writer and poet, he used words to inspire, provoke thought, and even offer solace. His poetry, often reflective of his inner struggles and hopes for the nation, continues to resonate with people across age groups. For so many Bharatiya Janata Party karyakartas like me, it is our privilege that we were able to learn and interact with a person like Atal ji . His contribution to the BJP was foundational. In those days, spearheading an alternative narrative to the dominant Congress showed his greatness. Alongside stalwarts like LK Advani ji and Murli Manohar Joshi ji , he nurtured the party in its formative years, and guided it through challenges, setbacks, and triumphs. Whenever the choice arose between ideology and power, he always chose the former. He was able to convince the nation that an alternative worldview from the Congress was possible and such a worldview could deliver. On his 100th jayanti , let us rededicate ourselves to realising his ideals and fulfilling his vision for India. Let us strive to build an India that embodies his principles of good governance, unity, and progress. Atal ji ’s unwavering belief in the potential of our nation continues to inspire us to aim higher and work harder. Narendra Modi is Prime Minister of India

Meta has said it has suffered a global outage, with some users facing issues using the social media apps Instagram and Facebook, and the WhatsApp messaging service. In a statement posted on X, Meta said: “We’re aware that a technical issue is impacting some users’ ability to access our apps. We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and apologize for any inconvenience.” Downdetector, a website which monitors issues with websites and apps, was showing large spikes of problems for people using Facebook and other Meta apps. Facebook outages were first reported at about 6pm on Wednesday, with more than 100,000 complaints registered. Instagram and WhatsApp were also facing similar complaints, with users unable to send or receive messages. The outages are unlikely to be as severe as Facebook’s 2021 outage, when a configuration error in a little-known protocol called BGP led to the company accidentally deleting its own address from the systems that allow servers to talk to each other on the internet. Although that error was spotted immediately, it took several hours for the fix to be enacted and take effect – in part because the company’s engineers could no longer gain remote access to their own servers to fix the problem; nor could they use their corporate passes to get through the electronic locks to gain physical access. However, it is not the first time this year that Meta services have been hit by worldwide outages. In March, Facebook and Instagram experienced severe issues around the world, with the services refusing login attempts and feeds stalling. Meta said in a statement on its social network, Threads, at the time: “Earlier today, a technical issue caused people to have difficulty accessing some of our services. We resolved the issue as quickly as possible and we apologise for any inconvenience.”There is no question that, at the very least, the Detroit Lions are one of the most injured teams in the NFL this season. We already know the Lions have the most players on injured reserve in total entering Week 17, so it's certainly safe to call Detroit the most injured team. But what about the number of Week 1 starters on injured reserve or out? Well, no surprise, the Lions lead the NFL in that category with a whopping 31.8% of their opening-day starters on the shelf. However, believe it or not, the Lions aren't alone in first place in that unfortunate category. They are actually tied with the Las Vegas Raiders , a team that also sports 31.8% of its Week 1 starters either on injured reserve or out with an injury. It's unfathomable to think that another team is having anything close to the injury issues the Lions have had, but here we are. Of course, the major difference is that Detroit has been able to overcome its issues, while the Raiders clearly have not. The #Lions are getting hit with the injury bug at the absolute worst time. (via: @pickinem ) pic.twitter.com/kkTclTPegA That speaks to the culture the Lions have built, but more importantly the roster that general manager Brad Holmes has constructed. At the very least, the Raiders are lacking the talent necessary to thrive in the wake of their injuries. As the playoffs loom, the Lions are hoping to get back at least a few key players in running back David Montgomery and linebacker Alex Anzalone. Montgomery is expected back by the divisional round , and Anzalone could make it back before that . If the Lions can make a deep playoff run, it's possible they could see cornerback Carlton Davis and edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson return. Davis has a shot to be back by the NFC Championship Game based on his recovery timeline , and Hutchinson has said he's targeting the Super Bowl . But, first things first, the Lions have to make it there before we can even have that discussion. Detroit will first look to wrap up the NFC North and No. 1 seed in the conference, something they can do in Week 17. MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS How Lions can clinch NFC North and No. 1 seed in Week 17 Jahmyr Gibbs roasts himself for wearing a mask to stay warm Dan Campbell has emphatic answer about Lions resting starters Lions rookie Christian Mahogany looks like a gem after impressive debut

In the end, the Dallas Cowboys are making the right call. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb's season has come to an end as he's been ruled out of the two remaining games on the team's schedule. The decision comes following the team's official elimination last Sunday and in the heels of eight games played with a banged up shoulder. Jerry Jones said earlier in the week they'd allow CeeDee to have a say on his status . Lamb suffered a shoulder injury back in Week 9, the same game in which Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. Despite being in visible pain in a weekly basis, Lamb refused to stop playing despite the Cowboys having virtually no chance of playing in the playoffs since well over a month ago. Lamb's year ends third in the NFL in both receptions (101) and receiving yards (1,194). That's despite playing the back half of the season with a backup QB in Cooper Rush and while fighting through injury. Though other candidates are likely to overtake him in the last couple of games, Lamb is deserving of All-Pro consideration given his circumstances. Micah Parsons talked to reporters about his teammate and he sent a message noting how special Lamb's 2024 season really was: "He's quarterback-proof," Parsons told reporters via All City DLLS' Clarence Hill Jr. "I seen him get 1,000 (yards) with Andy Dalton. Get 1,000 with Dak Prescott. Get 1,000 with Cooper Rush. You give grace to all these other wide receivers and say, 'Oh, they're not producing because they don't got their quarterback.' But CeeDee is showing time and time again that he could do it with anybody throwing. He can find a way to get open. He's competitive. He's a dog. I just don't think he's comparable. That's why I think he the best." To Parsons' point, Lamb is off to such a hot start to his career that he will wind up just 36 receiving yards short of legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice for the fourth-most receiving yards in a player’s first five seasons in NFL history. What CeeDee did this year shouldn't be overlooked just because of the Cowboys' mediocre record. He did justice to his No. 88 by not only producing at a high level but by showing zero quit on him even when the season appeared to be over well before math made it official. Dallas knows it's got a good leader in Lamb. Now it's time to allow him to heal up and move on to 2025. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.Scholastic Corporation Announces Third Quarter DividendDraftKings (DKNG) Is Looking Bullish as More States Legalize Sports Betting